Kitchen design - advice please

[bristols]

Am having my kitchen completely gutted and re done. The man is coming on Thursday to go through it but I want to have a list of must-haves.

Do you have anything in your kitchen that you couldn't live without? Or did you make a huge mistake that I can learn from?

I already have a couple: Fridge that isn't on the floor so I can see into it without getting on my knees; a big pantry with easy to see shelves; either an integrated, or space for a big bin!

Please help. We're going to be spending an awful lot of money and I want to get it right!

TIA

I had my kitchen done a year ago just before DD arrived. We have since moved out, so at least I am not forced to live with my design errors any more!

I put as many of those pull out larder style cupboards in as possible as I love those - it is the only way to see what you actually have and not end up with 16 packets of rice. Also, although this has probably been covered elsewhere on mumsnet before, don't get dark granite surfaces - they show watermarks so easily, and you end up wiping and then drying the wretched surface 50 times a day, whenever you run the tap or fill the kettle.

Double ovens make roasts easier too, I do miss mine. Oh, and those cupboards that are designed for pans, with the slidey shelf in them like a big drawer - very useful.

What sort of design are you going for - kitchen diner or more compact?

Going for a kitchen/diner/family room type affair. At the moment it's a fairly big kitchen and separate dining room, but I want to knock the wall down and open it all up.

Good tip on the granite worktop. Thanks. Already have a double oven range cooker that I'll be keeping.

Glad I'm not the only person who ends up with 16 packets of rice!

I started a similar thread a while back before I had my kitchen done - if you search on my name + kitchen you should find it - got some good ideas

Oh good lord. Have just had a John Lewis man come round and do us a design involving a black granite worktop.
[panic emoticon]

Should I change it? And what to??

Ooh, thanks, Ktee. Will have a go now. Although my searching abilities are not normally that successful... LOL

Oh, Bristols, am very envious now. In my dream kitchen I will have

• a blackboard-fronted cupboard to write lists and notes on
• a truly ginormous fridge,
• somewhere for people to sit and chat to me when I am cooking, out of my way so I don't have to ask them to move all the time
• one of those sprayer attachments on the tap to clean veg, dirty shoes etc
• a little TV so I can watch the news in the morning
• an extractor fan that actually works
• a stable door into the garden in the kitchen and/or proper french windows opening onto the garden
• a sofa/comfy chair
• definately not one of those built in wine racks at toddler level. Not a clever idea.

Sure there has been a thread on black granite before, wish I had seen it before I paid a fortune for the bloody stuff. Basically in hard water areas you will spend all your time cleaning the granite and drying it. My life is too short to dry kitchen surfaces all the time.

Oh blimey.
Will do a search on here for kitchen worktops before I spend my hard-earned..

At the end of the day don't forget the ergonomics i.e. the classic fridge-cooker-worksurface triangle plus the height of the worksurface. Mass produced units are at a standard height (can't rememebr what) but if you are taller or smaller than "average" make sure your woerk surface suit your height (backache etc).

thanks waswondering! Pleased you are happy with your JL kitchen - it's a scary decision!

Drawers. Always need lots of drawers. Also, we got in those twirly corner shelf thingies - the one that twirls right round is fine but the other only comes half way out (it's a long unit in the corner iyswim) and it's a pain in the arse. Would have been better with just a couple of shelves instead.

Madlab - am very lucky as I will have space for a sofa and a table and chairs. Blackboard cupboard sounds like a good idea. Reckon I might go for a spray tap too. Was coveting Nigella's last night.

Lapsedrunner - thankfully I am a pretty average kind of girl!

kTeePee - found your thread which was really helpful. Thanks.

Don't worry. Am off to the JL website!!

we are going for vermont, in cream, yummy

We are having our new kitchen/utility room fitted next week and can't wait!

We are having a rangemaster oven, cleverly designed corner units that pull out so you can see the whole of the corner -and use it! We are having 'in frame' in the kitchen and 'lay on' doors in the utility room. All of the white goods are going in the utility room. Wooden worktops, belfast sink, plate rack to display nice denby. Having 2 bespoke cupbaords with shelves above either side of the patio doors to display children's things and keep cutlery/mats etc. Keeping bright red smeg fridge as dh loves it (red was better than the union jack he first suggested!) The best bit is the flooring -amtico which has a 25 year garantee which is needed in our house with 2 dogs 1 ds and another ds on the way.
Above all we are improving the ergonomics of the kitchen and making it more family friendly whilst replaceing the single oven to a double + grill and moving the sink so it doesn't splash on the kitchen window!!

The company we are using is optiplan which is a bespoke kitchen company.

www.optiplan.co.uk/kitchens.htm

We are having Milford inframe in cream.

We did our kitchen about a year ago. Twas a race to finish before DD was born. Was all done in time apart from the taps!

I was in a total panic about it at the time - didn't realise I would spend months alternating between feeding baby on the couch, feeding baby in bed. Didn't see the kitchen at all for 6 months

Is in heavy use now though.

Loving:
Spray tap thingy.
Extractor hood - reduces smells from cooking and condensation.
Integrated fridge and freezer - doors too heavy for toddler to open!
Wire pull-out veg baskets.
Double integrated bin - for normal waste and recycling.
Dishwasher - thought they were the work of the eco-devil until I actually got one
Painted wall with magnetic paint, then covered with normal kitchen paint making a big invisible magnetic notice board.
Chrome tall towel radiator for teatowels.
Cupboard within reach of table dedicated to hifi, CDs, cocktail stuff, laptop and charger - Mums cupboard
Dimmable lights with separate circuits for each end of kitchen/diner.

Regrets:
As MadLabOwner already posted - wine rack built under worktop - Toddler magnet.
Mirrored, pull-down double oven doors - Toddler finger magnet.
Long rod style handles that toddler can reach and open every cupboard.

There's a theme emerging here. I didn't have a toddler when I planned my kitchen